Just like mowing your lawn, there is a better way to snow blow your driveway. This technique boils down to always starting in the middle and blowing the snow outward. As simple as it sounds I continue to see people doing their driveways with other patterns, throwing snow over areas they have already cleared or constantly wrestling with the snow chute to change direction. Sound familiar? Keep reading…

I’m going to illustrate this technique with a simple rectangle driveway. The concept will be the same regardless of driveway shape or size but the area you approach first may vary.

This method:

Minimizes the need to adjust the snow throwing chute

Keeps snow off areas that you have already passed

Keeps you moving in a forward direction

Eliminates the need to clear the same area(s) more than once

Let’s Begin

Start by clearing some space on both ends of your driveway. This will allow you to easily maneuver around each pass without going out into the road or coming too close to your garage.

Figure 1 demonstrates this with four passes. On each end start on the outside and work your way in. If necessary adjust your snow chute to throw toward the middle of your driveway.

Figure 1 – First clear the ends

Now adjust your snow throwing chute so it points to the right. It should now remain in this position for the remainder of the job.

The Bulk Of The Work
Create a strip straight down the middle of the driveway (see pass #1 indicated in Figure 2 below). Always slightly overlap the last area that you cleared and continue blowing snow toward the outer edges. Again, when following this pattern you should never have to adjust your snow chute because it will always be point toward an outer edge of the driveway.

Figure 2 – Work from the middle out

Continue each circle pass following the pattern above. When you reach the outside you are done! If done correctly, at the right speed with the right overlap, you should never have to go back over the areas you have already covered. It is that simple.